Against Operative Criticism: Reading Histories and Theory of Architecture

This lecture delves into the critical analysis of the historiographic works of prominent figures in architecture history such as Nikolaus Pevsner, Emil Kaufmann, Sigfried Giedion, and Bruno Zevi. It explores the crisis of modern architecture, the return to theory beyond functionalism, and the structuralism, linguistics, and semiotics in architecture. The discussion also covers the implosion of history in architecture, the crisis of historical representation, and the architecture as a tabula rasa. Furthermore, it examines the fall of the 'aura' in art and architecture, the superficial mimesis of the industrial mode of production, and the new laws of equipment in architecture.